AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE........(BOOK)

Published in 1993, this book is still a great one to keep in your personal quilt book library.  So much info packed into 270 pages.  Great photos. The topics include basic settings and borders, finishing the quilt, quick cutting, hand applique, exhibiting your quilts, caring for quilts, and so much more.

The website for Fons & Porter is here: https://www.quiltingcompany.com/

They also have a wonderful quilt magazine (Love of Quilting) that is one of the few quilt magazines I have subscribed to for many years - fun patterns and projects from beginner to expert.  See that here: https://www.quiltingcompany.com/store/love-of-quilting-1-year-subscription

SHIPS (another panel quilt)

Distant cousin and wife accepting quilt

Here is another example of what can be done with panels.  I had 2 yards of this sailing ship panel, which alone was not big enough to make a quilt for a double bed.  I carefully cut the panels out using the border on the the panels as a guide then added another fabric block between the ships. It was machine quilted in 1995 by BE of Joliet, MT.  Rather than spend my time binding it, I paid KL to do the binding.

My distant cousin and his wife owned a sailboat and when we visited them back in the 1980's we also got to go out on it - what fun. They loved to be out on their sailboat, including a sailing trip to Greece from northern Germany where they live. When they visited us in the fall of 1995, I had this ready for them.  This quilt resides in Germany with them. An American quilt in Germany is apparently a big deal !

In my scrapbook this is quilt #152.

ALBUM QUILT

This album quilt was hand quilted for a customer (SB, Maine).  She pieced it from fabrics that had a very soft look out of 100% cottons. Some of the blocks were signed by other quilters in her life. The back was plain muslin. The finished size was 45" x 60". I don't remember exactly how I quilted it, but I put in 80 yards of hand quilting during Aug. 1995. I've worked on many quilts with and for her, and she likes a cotton/poly mix for batting.

After she put the binding on, she sent me this photo to let me know how it looked and that she was very satisfied with the quilting.

SB is a very skilled needlewoman, and this quilt is a good reminder to all of us that quilts don't have to be complicated to be beautiful.

In my scrapbook, this quilt is listed as #151.

HEART OF AMERICA (panel quilt)

Heart of America was a panel that I purchased and added the outside flag border to it in Oct. 1995. It was machine quilted by BE of Joliet, MT in 1996.

It was a poly/cotton panel with a cotton border.  The batting was poly.  The back was plain muslin. Size: 39" x 38".

I have found over the years that using a panel as part of a quilt is an easy way to make a quick project.  A single border can be used (like here) or several borders, or several borders and blocks that coordinate with the panel.

Hanging inside after completion

After we moved to Indiana, I needed a quick baby shower gift for a neighbor (KC) in 1999 and gave her this.

Hanging outside on a cabin wall at Fowler Park, Vigo Co., IN 1998 

In my scrapbook as quilt #155.

AMISH BAR QUILT (Part 2)

My Amish Bar Quilt is finally complete!!The original post about this quilt was in 2013 at:  https://indianaquilter40.blogspot.com/2013/10/amish-bar-quilt.html

I have finally gotten the hand quilting, binding, and tag done so here are photos of this beautiful reversible quilt.  It has about 5 spools of cream quilting thread and a wool batting (Hobb's Tuscany line).

I purchased the pre-printed top that I used to hand quilt  this quilt from The Stencil Company at this link: https://www.quiltingstencils.com/  .  This company has all kinds of wonderful quilting stencils and pre-printed designs from 18" square to queen size. I have purchased from this company for years and have always been happy with the products and service.

MORE BOOKS

These books are my all time favorite books for beautiful quilt drawings with a wonderful story to go with the drawings.  I have these two books in my personal collection because I got tired of checking them out of the library. The basic thread through the books is a quilt maker who simply makes quilts to give away to others.

Quilts can be a great way to help others.  Some quilts are meant to be heirlooms (which means they are used very gently with the plan of passing them on to family, friends, or maybe a museum). Some quilts are made to be used and loved to death. There is room in my quilt crazy world for both. 

The really nice things about making quilts for others is that I get to pick the person or organization, I get to work at home on my schedule, and I get that wonderful warm fuzzy feeling because of doing something super nice for someone who probably cannot do anything for me back. Ok, so in some ways it is selfish.

 If you are reading this and need some ideas of where to look in your community for places that you can donate quilts or even mentor beginner quilts, please contact me for ideas.

Years later I found the pattern book to go with the story books and had to add it to my personal collection.

MORE FAVORITE QUILTING BOOKS

I have 2 books put out by Better Homes & Gardens that I don't use so much for patterns, but more for inspiration and ideas.  These books have been around for years but just seem like classics to me.